Five new species of freshwater crabs of the genera Ghatiana Pati &amp; Sharma, 2014 and Sahyadriana Pati &amp; Thackeray, 2018 from India (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae)

A new genus and new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Aradhya placida gen. et sp. nov., is recognized from the northern part of the Central Western Ghats of India. The new genus is diagnosed, and the new species from the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, is described herein. The new genus most resembles Arcithelphusa Pati & Sudha Devi, 2015, Cylindrotelphusa Alcock, 1909, Rajathelphusa Raj, Kumar & Ng, 2021, and Pavizham Raj, Kumar & Ng, 2022, in having an ovate, relatively narrow and deep carapace, with the front narrow as compared to other Indian gecarcinucid genera. Aradhya gen. nov. is nevertheless separated from those genera by the characters in the carapace, epigastric and postorbital cristae, external orbital angle, cervical grooves, third maxilliped, chelipeds, male thoracic sternites/sternopleonal cavity/pleon, male second gonopod, and especially by the elongated male telson and the stouter ultimate article of the male first gonopod.

A new genus and new species of freshwater crab (Decapoda: Brachyura:Gecarcinucidae) from the Central Western Ghats of India

Pati

BAJANTRI

HEGDE

2023

Ghatiana sanguinolenta, a new species of freshwater crab (Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the Central Western Ghats of India

PATI,

THACKERAY,

PAWAR

2023

Ghatiana sanguinolenta sp. nov. is recognized herein as the twelfth species of the gecarcinucid genus Ghatiana Pati & Sharma, 2014, and the fifth species of the genus from the Karnataka state. This new species of freshwater crab is currently known only from the type locality, which is situated in the Central Western Ghats of India. Ghatiana sanguinolenta sp. nov. can be immediately distinguished from congeners by the outwardly curved ultimate article of the male first gonopod and the dark blood-red colour in life.

The “Mr. and Mrs. Ghat crab”, Ghatiana dvirupa sp. nov. (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the Central Western Ghats of India

PATI,

BAJANTRI,

HEGDE

2024

A new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Ghatiana dvirupa sp. nov., is described herein from the Kali Tiger Reserve of the Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka state, India. The Kali Tiger Reserve is a protected area, which is situated in the Central Western Ghats. The new species superficially most resembles Ghatiana sanguinolenta Pati, Thackeray & Pawar, 2023, from Karnataka but can easily be distinguished mainly by its ultimate article of the male first gonopod, which is distally gently curved inwards against the gently outwardly curved distal portion of the ultimate article in the latter species. Ghatiana dvirupa sp. nov. is also compared with the remaining species of the genus from Karnataka and some morphologically related species from Maharashtra. The difference in colour in life has been noticed between males and females of G. dvirupa sp. nov.; as such the common name of the new species is proposed as “Mr. and Mrs. Ghat Crab”. Ghatiana Pati & Sharma, 2014, is now known for 13 species, all from the Western Ghats of India. Karnataka currently possesses six species of Ghatiana, and many new species are yet to be described.